Dynamic response of an elastic aircraft to ripple store ejection

The study presents a frequency-domain methodology for computing the structural dynamic response of an elastic aircraft to single and ripple ejections, accounting for the time variation of the inertial properties of the configuration. The frequency-domain method has the advantage of allowing for the direct use of frequency-domain unsteady aerodynamic forces without resorting to approximations for representing the aerodynamics in the time domain. Using this methodology, the study investigates how the different load sources affect the total load, which structural modes are involved in the response (using wavelet analysis), and how the time interval between ripple ejections affects the resulting loads. The study also investigates the effect of a follower ejection force on the loads. The test case of the study is a subsonic, elastic, generic unmanned aircraft carrying up to six stores on each wing.